Machine for forming cover receiving channels in heels



MACHINE FOR FORMING COVER RECEIVING CHANNELS IN HEELS Filed Dec. 24, 1953 Jan. 25, 1955 L. w. BUXTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Linus WBuzion Jan. 25, 1955 a... w. BUXTON MACHINE FOR FORMING COVER RECEIVING CHANNELS m HEELS Filed Dec. 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [river Liar Linus Wfiuxton MACEHNE FOR FORMING COVER RECEIVING CHANNELS 1N HEELS Linus W. Buxton, Shrewsbury, Mo., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 24, 1953, Serial No. 400,294

9 Claims. (Cl. 12-42) This invention relates to machines for use in forming cover receiving channels in the side and rear faces of wedge heels and consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and fully disclosed in the following description and defined in the following claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows in perspective the illustrative machine in the process of forming a heel cover receiving channel in the side and rear faces of a wedge heel which faces form an outer face of said heel;

Fig. 2 shows, partly in section and partly in plan, a universal coupling of the machine;

Fig. 2a is a side view of a portion of mechanism which supports the universal coupling;

Fig. 3 is a view showing on an enlarged scale portions of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing in detail channel forming mechanism and an associated rub collar of the machine which are being traversed by the wedge heel to form a heel cover receiving channel in the outer face of the heel;

Fig. 5 shows in perspective the wedge heel after channels have been formed in itby the use of the illustrative machine;

Fig. 6 is a view showing the heel of Fig. 5 after it has been covered preparatory to attaching it to a shoe; and

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line VIIVII of Fig. 6 showing covers of the heel tucked into one of the channels formed in said heel.

The illustrative machine is described with reference to forming in the rear and side faces of a wedge heel 20, which faces constitute an outer face 22 of the heel, a

pair of heel cover receiving channels 24 which extend around said outer face from one lateral shank edge 26 (Figs. 1 and 5) of the heel to the other. Preparatory to the attachment of the channeled wedge heel to a shoe (not shown) the heel has secured to it, as shown in Fig. 6, covers 23, 28a and 28b which are of contrasting colors and are adhesively secured to the upper, middle and lower sections respectively of the outer face 22 of the heel 20, opposing margins of the covers of adjacent sections being tucked into the channels alongside one another, as best shown in Fig. 7.

It is desirable that throughout the length of the heel cover receiving channel 24 the side walls of said channel shall extend inward at an angle alpha (Fig. 7) of 90 to corresponding heightwise elements 31 (Figs. 4 and 7) of the outer face 22 of the heel. Moreover, it is desirable that the curvatures and the locations of the channels in the outer face of the heel shall be varied in order to provide the desired design effect in the covered heel.

The wedge heel 20 is positioned in and held by a holder which is supported for universal movement upon a carrier 32 (Fig. 1) mounted on a beam 34 having secured to it pins 36 journaled in bores 38 of plates 40 which are secured by screws 42 and dowels (not shown) to an angle bracket 44 adjustably secured to a base 46. Secured by a screw 48 to the upper end of the angle bracket 44 is an abutment or rub plate 50 provided with a passage or hearing bore 52 (Fig. 4) in which is rotatably mounted a routing tool 54, an outer end of which projects beyond and extends from a convex work engaging face 56 of said rub plate.

The heel holder 30 has connected to it a universal States Patent 0 F Patented Jan. 25, 1955 ICE coupling 58 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is suspended from and sustained by the carrier 32. The beam 34 is pivotally moved with relation to the plates 40, which may be considered as part of the angle bracket 44 and together with said bracket may be referred to as a pedestal, about a common axis 60 (Figs. 1 and 3) of the pins 36 as the operator forces the heel 20 being channeled with traversing action against the rub plate 50 as he orients the heel with the heightwise elements 31 of its outer face 22 disposed at substantially right angles to an axis 62 (Fig. 4) of rotation of the routing tool 54. The axis 60 about which the beam 34 tilts is disposed at substantially right angles to the axis 62 of rotation of the routing tool.

The angle bracket 44 may be initially moved into different adjusted positions along a guideway 63 (Fig. l), which is provided in the base 46 and extends generally parallel to the axis 62 of rotation of the routing tool 54, after releasing screws 64 which extend through slots 68 in the angle bracket and are threaded into said base. Accordingly, the rub plate 50 which is secured to the bracket 44 may be moved lengthwise of the axis 62 to vary the depth of the channel 24 formed by the routing tool 54. The machine receives its power from a variable speed motor 70 which is mounted on a stand 72 forming part of the base 46 and has a shaft 74 to which the routing tool 54 is secured by a split chuck 76 clamped for rotation with the shaft by a collar 78.

The beam 34 comprises a pair of parallel cylindrical rods 80 and upper and lower headers 82, 84 fixed to said rods, the lower header having secured to it the pins 36 which, as above explained, are journaled in the bores 38 of the plates 40. In order to limit counterclockwise movement, as viewed in Fig. l, of the beam 34, which may be referred to as a tilting beam, about the plates 40, which are secured to the angle bracket 44, the lower header 84 has threaded into it a screw 86 which, when the machine is idle, is held in its idle or rest position in forced engagement with a rearwardly extending rib 88 of the angle bracket 44 by a spring 90 (Fig. 1) upper and lower portions of which are attached respectively to the upper header 82 of the beam and to the motor 70.

Since it is desirable that the side walls of the channel 24 formed in the heel shall be disposed at substantially right angles to the heightwise elements 31 of the portion of the outer face 22 being channeled, the heel is so guided past the rub plate 50 that the heightwise elements 31 of the particular part of the outer face 22 of the heel being channeled are disposed at substantially right angles to the axis 62 of rotation of the tool 54. Such orienting of the heel 20 by the operator is possible by reason of the fact that the carrier 32, upon which the universal coupling 58 is mounted and which together with the coupling may be referred to as a heel holder sustaining means, is shiftable generally lengthwise of the axis 62 of rotation of the tool 54. Since the heightwise elements 31 at the extreme rear end of the outer face 22 of the heel 20 are commonly disposed at an angle beta (Fig. 5) to a plane of the tread surface 92 of the heel, which angle beta is greater than the angles which other heightwise elements of the outer face of the heel form with said plane, it will be apparent that the beam 34 is swung a maximum distance for the particular heel on hand in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, during the channeling of the rear portion of the outer face of the heel. Accordingly, the screw 86 should be initially set so as to permit the necessary maximum swing of the beam 34 in said counterclockwise direction for the heel to be accommodated, it being the practice initially to set the screw in such a position that it enables the beam to be moved by the biasing action of the spring 90 slightly further in a counterclockwise direction than is necessary to accommodate said heel.

The carrier 32 is mounted on the rods 80 of the tilting beam 34 and has journaled in it an elongated screw 94 (Fig. 1) which is threaded into the upper header 32 and may be conveniently rotated by the use of a hand wheel 96 in order initially to move the carrier into different operative positions upon the rods toward or away from the axis 62 of rotation of the tool 54 to vary the longitudinal curvature of the channel 24. The carrier 32 and the coupling 58 constitute and may be defined as heel holder sustaining means which may be initially moved into different active positions toward and away from the axis 62 of rotationof the tool 54 to insure that the sides. of the channels 24 formed'in the outer face 22of' the heel shall be disposed at right,.,angle's .to corresponding heightwise elements31 .of said face The carrier 32'has formed in it a pair of alined cylindrical recesses 98 "(Figs 1 and 2) for receiving shoul-.

dered trunnion screws 100 .which are threaded into a trunnion block '192'havin'g a cylindrical bore .104 in which is rotatably mounted a rearwardly projecting cylindrical stud 106 of a bearing block 103'having extending through it a vertical bore 110 for rotatably receiving a bearing sleeve 112. The cylindrical stud 106 has formed in it an'annular groove 114 for receiving'inner ends of the trunnion screws 100'and an upper screw'116 which screws hold the bearing block '108 rotatably in its proper operative position in the trunnion block MP2. The sleeve 112 has at its-upper end a flange which overlies an upper face of the bearing blocklGS and threaded onto the lower'end-of the bearing sleeve is a .nut 118 \VhiChSlid.

ingly engages a lower face of thebearing block. Extending through a passage 120 in the sleeve 112 is a threaded' rod 122 which is'fixed to the holder 39 and may be secured in different adjusted positions lengthwise of the rod in the sleeve by the use. of a pair of nuts 124 which are threaded onto the rod and may be forced respectively against the flange of the sleeve and against the nut 118 to secure the rod to the sleeve. By reason of the above construction the threaded rod 122 is rotatably' sup- 9 ported by the bearing block 108 for movement about an axis 125 and together with the bearing block 108 and the trunnion block 162 constitute and maybe described as a universal coupling for operatively connecting the holder 30 to the carrier 32 which, in effect, forms part of the rocking beam 34 and may be so defined. The universal coupling 58 may be described as being spaced a substantial distance from and located at one side of the axis 62 of rotation of the routing tool 54 and as operatively connecting the holder 30'to the carrier.,32 and cooperating with the rub plate 50 in the guiding of the outer face 22 of the heel 21) past the rub plate and the tool. The spring biased beam 34 andthe pedestal on which it is mounted constitute means for effecting yielding movement of the carrier 32 generally lengthwise of the axis 62 of rotation of the routing tool 54.

The holder 30 comprises a yoke 126 having a lower arm which is provided with a flat surface 13.0 adapted to.

be engaged by the rear end portion of the attaching face of the heel 20 and which hassecured to it a lug 132 projecting above said surface and engageable by the rear end of the rim of said attaching face. The lug 132 and the rear portion of the surface serve as an angular rest and may be defined as such.

Movable into different positions on a lower arm of the yoke 126 is a slide 134 carrying a pair of supporting screws 136 which are threaded intothe slide and are constructed and arranged to be engaged by a forward portion of the attaching face of the wedge heel which is in engagement with the surface 130 and .said angular rest.

formed by the lug 132. The heel in engagement with the angular rest and mounted upon the supporting screws 136 is secured to the holder by a clamp screw 128 which is threaded into an upper arm of the yoke and forces the heel against the surface 130 and with impaling action against the screws 136. In order to move the slide 134 into different positions on the lower arm of the yoke 126 'there is provided an adjusting screw 140 which is rotatably mounted in the yoke and is threaded into the slide, a locknut 142 being provided to maintain the proper adjustment of the slide on the yoke. In order to expedite the initial heightwise positioning of the yoke 126 in accordance with the desired position of the cover receiving channel 24 heightwise of the outer face 22 of the heel 20, the angle bracket 44 is provided with a scale 146 which may be suitably calibrated.

After positioning the wedge heel 29 in the'yoke 126 with the rear end of the rim of its attaching face in engagement with the lug 132 and the rear and forward portions of its attaching face resting respectively upon the surface 130 and the screws 136, the clamp screw 128 is rotated into a lowered position in the yoke to clamp the heel against movement in said yoke.

When the wedge heel 20 has-been secured to the yoke 126 the operator, while grasping said yoke, forces a por- 4. tion of the outer face of the heel which is located adjacent to one shank edge 26 against the rub plate Stl and swings the heel, about an axis 144 (Fig. 2) of the bore 104 of the trunnion block 102 until the channeling cut reaches the rear end portion of the heel whereupon the rear end portion of the heeL-is channeled mainly by rotating the heel about the axis 125 of the threaded rod 122,

swinging .movement of the heel; about the axis 144 ofv the bore 104 thenbeing effected to forma continuation of the channel 24 in an opposite side portion of the outer face 22 of the-heel 29 until the channeling'cut reaches the other shank edge 26 of the heel.

As above explained, during movement of the wedge heel 2t past the, routing tool 54,.the-heightwise elements 31 of the outer face 22 of the heel are oriented by the operator so that they are presentedat right angles to the axis 62 of the tool 54 thereby insuring that the side walls of the channel 24 shall be disposed atsubstantially right angles to-associated'heightwise elementsof said face;

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I;claim 'as newand desire to secure byLetters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a heel channeling machine, a rub plate, a routing tool rotatable about an axis and-extending from said rub plate, a holder, means for positioning a wedge heel in and securing it to the holder with its outer face exposed, means for sustaining the holder for universal movement and cooperating with the rub plate to guide the heel, the

outer face. of which is forced by the operator against the rub plate and is moved past said tool, to form in. said outer face of the heel a cover receiving channel extending around the face, and mechanism for guiding said heel holder sustaining means for'movement generally lengthwise of the axis ofrotation'of the tool in order that heightwise elements of diiferentportions of said outer face of the heel, which elements are inclined at different angles to a tread face of the. heel, can be oriented by the operator, as the heel is moved past. the tool, to positions in whichthey are disposed at substantially right angles tosaid axis.

2. In a 'heel channeling machine, a rub plate, a rout-' ing tool rotatable about an axis and extending from said rub plate, a holder,-means for positioning a wedge heel in and securing it to the holder with its outer face exposed, means for sustaining the holder for universal movement and cooperating ,with vthe .rub plate to guide the heel, the outer face of which is forced by the operator against therub plate and is moved past said tool, to form in said outer face of the heel a cover receiving channel extending around said face, and means for initially movmg said, sustaining means into different adjusted positions toward and away from the axis ofrotation of the routing tool.

3. Ina heel channeling machine, a rub plate, a routing tool rotatable about an axis and extending from said rub plate, a holder,.n1eansfor positioning a wedge heel in and securing. itto the holder with its outer face exposed, meansv for sustaining. the holder for universal movementand cooperating with the rub plate to guide the heel,'the outer face of which is forced by the operator against therub plate and. is moved past said tool, to form in said outer. face of the heel a cover receiving channel extending around said face, and means for initially adjusting the holder relatively to the sustaining means transversely. of said axis for varying heightwise of theheel in the holder the position of the channelformed in the outer faced the heel.

4. In}: heel: channeling machine, a fixedrub plate, a routing tool projecting from said-rub plate, a holder, means. for positioning a .wedge heel upon and securing it to the, holder with an outer face of the heel exposed, a carrier, a universal coupling .which is spaced a substantial distance from 'and .is located at one side of the axis of rotation of the-tool and which operatively connects the holder-- to the 'carrier'and cooperates with the rub plateinguiding the outer face of the heel, which is forced against and "is caused to traverse said plate and the tool'by theoperator, past the rub plate and the tool to form a coverreceiving channel in andextending around said outer face of the heel, and meansfor effecting yielding movement .of the carrier generally lengthwise of the axis of rotation of the tool in response to pressure against the. rub, plate of the heelsecured :in the holder to' insure that sides of the channel formed in the heel shall be arranged substantially normal to heightwise elements of the portion of the face being channeled.

5. In a heel channeling machine, a fixed rub plate, a routing tool which is rotatable about an axis and extends through and beyond said rub plate, a beam monnted for pivotal movement about a tilt axis disposed approximately at right angles to the axis of rotation of the tool, a carrier mounted upon said beam, a stop, a spring for constantly urging the beam to an idle position against the stop, a holder, means for positioning the heel in and securing it to the holder with the outer face of the heel exposed, a coupling connecting the holder for universal movement upon the carrier and cooperating with the rub plate to guide the heel, the outer face of which is forced by the operator against the rub plate, past the tool to form around the outer face of the heel a heel cover receiving channel, said carrier being movable about said tilt axis against the action of said spring in response to orientation of the heel on the rub plate by the operator as said cover receiving channel is being formed in order that heightwise elements of different portions of the outer face of the heel may be swung by the operator into positions in which they are disposed at right angles to the axis of rotation of the tool as the heel is guided past said tool, and mechanism for initially adjusting the C2lt'- rier on the beam toward and away from the axis of rotation of the tool to vary the longitudinal curvature of said channel.

6. In a channeling machine, a fixed rub plate, a routing tool extending through and beyond said plate and rotatable about an axis, a holder for a heel, said holder comprising an angular rest engaged by the rear end of the attaching face of the heel and by the rear end of the rim of said face, adjustable supporting screws constructed and arranged to be engaged by a forward portion of the attaching face of the heel and a clamp screw adapted to be moved against a tread face of the heel to force said heel against said angular rest and against said supporting screws whereby to secure the heel to the holder, a carrier which is displaceable generally lengthwise of said axis, and a coupling connecting the holder for universal movement upon the carrier and cooperating with the rub plate to guide the heel, the outer face of which is forced by the operator against the rub plate, past the tool to form around the outer face of the heel a cover receiving channel.

7. In a machine for use in forming a heel cover receiving channel in an outer face of a wedge heel, a routing tool rotatable about an axis, a rub plate having a work-engaging surface beyond which said tool projet': and which is disposed generally transversely of said axis and surrounds said tool, a pedestal, means for initially securing the pedestal in different adjusted positions lengthwise of the axis of the tool, a beam which is pivotally mounted upon the pedestal for movement about a t lt axis arranged at right angles to the axis of rotation of the tool, a holder, means for positioning and clamping a heel in the holder, a carrier which is adjustably secured to the beam, means for initially moving into different adjusted positions on the beam the carrier toward anl away from the axis of rotation of the tool, a coupling connecting the holder for universal movement upon the carrier and cooperating with the rub plate to guide the heel, the outer face of which is forced by the operator against the rub plate, past the tool to form around th: outer face of the heel a cover receiving channel, a stop, and a spring for biasing the beam toward said stop, said beam and accordingly said carrier being movable about said tilt axis against the action of said spring in response to orientation of the heel on the rub plate by the operator as said cover receiving channel is being formed in order that heightwise elements of different portions of said outer face of the heel may be swung into posi tions in which they are disposed at right angles to the axis of rotation of the tool.

8. In a machine for forming a cover receiving chan nel in an outer face of a wedge heel, a rub plate, a routing tool which is rotatable about an axis and passes through and beyond said rub plate, a beam movable about a tilt axis which is disposed at substantially right angles to the axis of rotation of the tool, a stop, a spring for biasing the beam about said tilt axis to a rest position determined by the engagement of the beam with said stop, a holder, means for positioning a heel in and securing it to the holder, and a universal coupling which is spaced a substantial distance from and is located at one side of the axis of rotation of the tool and which is adapted operatively to connect the beam to the holder and to cooperate with the rub plate in the guiding of sa 1d outer face of the heel in the holder in a predetermined path as it is forced against and traverses the rub plate and the tool with heightwise elements of said outer face of the heel oriented by the operator at right angles to the axis of the tool to form in the outer face of the heel a cover receiving channel extending around the heel, said beam acted upon by the universal coupling being swung about the tilt axis during the forming of the cover receiving channel to enable said coupling to be bodily transferred generally lengthwise of the axis of rotat on of the tool, in accordance with the angle which different heightwise elements of the outer face of the heel form with a plane of a tread face of the heel, during traversing movement of the heel in the holder past said tool.

9. In a machine for forming a cover receiving channel in an outer face of a wedge heel, a rub plate, a routing tool which is rotatable about an axis and passes through and beyond said rub plate, a beam movable about a tilt axis which is disposed at substantially right angles to the axis of rotation of the tool, a stop, a spring for biasing the beam about said tilt axis to a rest position determined by the engagement of the beam with said stop, a holder, means for positioning a heel in and securing it to the holder, a universal coupling which is spaced a substantial distance from and is located at one side of the axis of rotation of the tool and which is adapted operatively to connect the beam to the holder and to cooperate with the rub plate in the guiding of said outer face of the heel in the holder in a predetermined path as it is forced against and traverses the rub plate and the tool with heightwise elements of said outer face of the heel oriented by the operator at right angles to the axis of the tool to form in the outer face of the heel a cover receiving channel extending around the heel, said beam acted upon by the universal coupling being swung about the tilt axis during the forming of the cover receiving channel to enable said coupling to be bodily transferred generally lengthwise of the axis of rotation of the tool, in accordance with the angle which different heightwise elements of the outer face of the heel form with a plane of a tread face of the heel, during traversing movement of the heel in the holder past said tool, means for moving the universal coupling into different operative positions with relation to the beam to vary the path of traversing movement of the heel past the tool, and means for initially adjusting the holder relatively to the universal coupling for varying heightwise of the heel in the holder the position of the channel formed in the outer face of the heel.

No references cited. 

